Expansion-joint for concrete roadways.



A. THOMAS. EXPANSION JOINT PQR CONCRETE ROADWAYS. APPLICATION FILED 0GT.25, 1911.

1,017,346. Patented Feb. 13,1912.

' To all whom it may concern:

UNITE s'r Es PATENT orrion.

AVILA THOMAS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASS-IGNOB, T THOMAS- STEEL REINFORCE- MENT 00., 013 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A COIRJE'ORA'JEIOIN'- OF MICHIGAN.

EXPANSION-JOINT FOR CONCRETE ROADWAYS.

. Be it known that I, AVILA. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, resldln'g at Detroit,

* in the county of Wayne, State ofMichiga-n,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Expansion-Joints for Goncrete Roadways; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and-exact descriptlon of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accom anying drawings, and to the characters 0 reference marked thereon,

which'form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an expansion joint especially designed for use in the construction of concrete roadways but adaptable for other purposes, and consists in the combination, association, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invehtion is to provide a simple and eflicient expansion joint whereby any expansion and contraction in a road way may be provided for so as to avoid cracking the concrete, the arran ement be ing such as .to connect the mem ers at the joint with the reinforcing members in thebody of the concrete whereby the whole mass may be bound together for a given area and caused to move as a unit under varying con- "ditions of temperature, provision being made for readily connecting the metal parts at the joint with the reinforcing bars in a manner to bind the parts firmly together and retain them securely in place.

The above object is attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, .in which V Figure 1 is a sectional view through a concrete roadway showing one embodiment of my expansion joint. Flg. 2 is a fragmentaryview in elevation of one of the facing plates at the joint, showing one ofthe tension members in transverse section and the hooked end of said member in engagement with the integral tongue of said plate, which is curved to form an embracing eye for said hook,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, and in addition thereto showing one of the supporting standards carrying the longitudinal and transversely extending reinforcing bars or members. 0

Referring to the characters of reference, 1

designates the concrete of'a roadway which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 19122 Application filed October 25, 1911. Serial Nb. 656,558. 4

is reinforced by upper and lower longitudinal bars 2 and 3 respectively, and upper and lower transverse bars'L' These reinforcing bars are-supported by suitable upright standards 5 preferably L-shaped in cross'sectiom'as shown in Fig. 3, and having laterally extending foot portions 6." There are a sufficient number of the reinforcing bars and of the supporting standards employed to form --a frame-work of the crossed upper and lower bars sufficiently strong to tie together and unify the sections of the concrete mass, the reinforcing bars in said strengthening frame-work passing through and being supported in the wings of the L-shaped standards.

The concreteroadway is divided'into sections or stretches of 30 feet more or less, and at the termination of each section there is employed a face plate-7 preferablyiof wrought metal, which is provided at intervals therein with tongues 8 struck or sheared therefrom so as to leave one end attached to the body of the plate. The free end of each tongue is formed into a partially closed eye 9 adapted to embrace the u wardly turned book 10 at the end of each o the upper longitudinal bars 2. It will benoted thatthe sections of the concrete roadway, each consisting of a reinforced unified mass, are separated by an intervening spacewhich is. filled with aninsertion of asphalt 11' or other compressible matter. At each joint the facing plates 7 are set into, the edge of 11 becomes the edges of the concrete bein broken off and at the same,time serve to tie the whole mass together from end to end of each section by reason of the connection of the longitudinal tension, members therewith through i the engagement of the hook upon said ten-- sion members inthe eyes of the tongues on saidplates. qThis reinforcement prevents the cracking of the concrete mass'at any point between the ends 'of the sections, and yet provides for expansion and contraction of the mass under extreme variations in temperature.

Letters Patent, is z When the reinforcing frame-work is in position the facing plates 7 are set in place by passin the eyes in the tongues 8 thereof downwar ly over the upwardly turned ends of the hooks 10 of thetension bars 2. To spring said tongues outwardly so as to enable the hooked ends of said bars to readily enter said eyes, a pry or lever 12, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, may be employed.

Upon removing said lever after the hookedworkhaving tension members with hooked terminals, and opposed face plates set in theedges of the sections of the cementitious masses at the surface thereof, said plates having members thereon engaged by the hooked terminals of the tension members to effect a connection between said parts.

2. An expansion joint for cementitious masses, comprising a reinforcing framework having tension members with hooked terminals, opposed face plates set in the edges of the sections of the cementitious masses and spaced to allow a filling therebetween, tongues on said plates having eyes which receive the hooked terminals of the tension members, and a compressible filling between the cementitious masses and occupying the space between said plates.

3. A structure of the character described,

comprising tension members having hooked terminals, a face late having tongues struck therefrom, the ee ends of sald tongues being formed into embracing eyes to receive the hooked terminals of the tension members to efl'ect a connection between said members and said face plate.

4. An expansion joint for cementitious masses, comprising a reinforcing framework and opposed face plates set in the edges of the sections of the cementitious masses, and means for connecting said face plates to'said reinforcing frame-work 'm a manner to tie said parts together.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two'witnesses.

. AVILA THOMAS.

Witnesses:

E. S. WHEELER,- M. E. BROESAMIE. 

